Potability of water from artesian wells in rural communities of Sergipe central agreste

Abstract

Water is an indispensable resource for all living beings and the ways of capturing and distributing this resource are important for the maintenance of terrestrial water systems where the availability of drinking water is scarce. In northeastern Brazil, due to climatic characteristics, water distribution occurs irregularly, mainly in communities far from urban centers. In the city of Itabaiana, located in the Sergipe semiarid, dozens of villages are supplied with water from artesian wells that are built at random, often on slopes in relation to black pits. In this work we evaluate the microbiological quality of water in 14 of these villages. The results of the analyzes showed that only three wells had water suitable for human consumption, 11 wells had the presence of thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli detected, while in two villages the water presented heterotrophic organisms in amounts above 500 CFU. As a short-term measure, the city was instructed to install chlorinators at the exit of contaminated wells. However, to effectively solve this problem, managers need to enforce ABNT guidelines for the installation of artesian wells and septic tanks, as well as compliance with state and federal sanitation laws.